In order to market  your home, you have to know who your market is. It has been interesting for me, with 30 years of real estate history, to see the changes that have occurred in our market and what is driving it and why we are attracting the market we are. Our local market is comprised of buyers moving within the City of Peactree Corners, buyers relocating from intown Atlanta, buyers relocating to the Atlanta area and buyers who grew up in Peachtree Corners returning to their roots. Buyers moving within Peachtree Corners are families that have fallen in love with the city but are upsizing or…

Home prices are rising in Peachtree Corners. There was an 8 percent increase in the average price of a home based on a comparison of the first four months of 2013 to the same period in 2012. Lack of supply and huge demand continues to push prices higher.  Exciting times to be a buyer or a seller. As we enter May 2013 we are celebrating record breaking months. Offers are pouring in and agents are saying that if your home is on the market longer than six weeks, your price is too high. I cannot wait to see how we end the year but for now it is one big WOW of a year. Inventory remains low. There …

We will be posting our Market update next week. For now with so many choosing to put their home on the market, I want to revisit the importance of creating the perfect selling environment when selling your home. Once your home hits the market, it has to be properly priced, properly marketed and have the best packaging. In today’s market, buyers are making compromises, due to the lower inventory but if you want to be the home that buyers are fighting over, presentation is still critical to getting top dollar and multiple offers. 1. Buyers want crisp, clean and neutral.  Two of your best …

While growing up, I developed a love for swimming. I would never become an expert swimmer or master all the strokes but none of that mattered. Swimming became the song of summer for me. True luxury was having your own in-ground pool. I had a high school friend who had a pool,  and I loved swimming in that pool knowing that we were the only ones splashing and laughing. Early morning and late night you could find us in the pool. To me a dream home would be a home with an in-ground pool. Peachtree Corners has several homes on the market that offer the buyer the joy of owning their own pool. …

Over the past few weeks the city of Peachtree Corners has been developing its Comprehensive Plan. The goal has been to create a vision of Peachtree Corners in 20 years. It is great opportunity to imagine our city in the future and hear what our neighbors hope to see as we mature as a city. A few weeks ago the Peachtree Corners Business Association held a meeting and invited the local business community to come and share their vision and needs for the future. Pond and Company facilitated the event and shared some interesting statistics about our community. As a citizen of Peachtree Corners I …

Thanks to all of you who sent in answers to our Peachtree Corners Trivia Challenge which first ran on March 29th. As promised here are the answers to most of our 10 questions - and the name of the winner. 1. Name the original anchor store located where OfficeMax is located. This is the OfficeMax in the Flying Biscuit shopping center.  Bruno’s Grocery, headquartered in Birmingham, AL would be the store. Everyone was so excited when it openned because it was a grocery store with carpet on the floors and crystal chandeliers. 2. What restaurant occupied the space where the Krystal is now located …

Last month we told you the the home real estate market was hot. It is now sizzling. The demand for homes has soared and the biggest challenge facing agents is lack of homes to show their buyers. With this low inventory we inch closer to a seller’s market in Peachtree Corners. There are currently 84 homes on the market in the city. Compare this with the same time last year when there were approximately 110 homes on the market. The exciting news is that 55 homes are under contract and are scheduled to close in the near future. There is a 3.9  month supply of homes available for sale. That has …

Hope the Easter Bunny hops your way and brings you baskets full of joy and happiness.  It is time to have another Peachtree Corners challenge! If you love trivia then maybe you can share some with all of us. I am betting a special thank you will come your way. 1. Name the original anchor store located where OfficeMax on Peachtree Parkway is now located.  2. What restaurant occupied the space where the Krystal is now located at Peachtree Parkway and Holcomb Bridge Road? 3. Was there ever a Hardee's Restaurant in Peachtree Corners and if so where was it located? 4. What business occupied the …

The spring real estate market is here. If you are selling, you need to be in your Spring glory. These suggestions are tips that we know will help you get top dollar. Implement them along with proper marketing, low inventory, and the perfect price, and you will find yourself packing your bags. You can now make that move that you were afraid was not in your plans a few years ago. 1. Buyers want crisp, clean and neutral. I have purple walls in my living room. I love the look, but to compete in this market I would have my home painted in a neutral color. Is your carpet stained or dated? Two of …

Today’s changing market makes for challenges for agents and sellers. It also requires Peachtree Corners buyers and sellers to adjust their thinking. The market in our community is currently in balance but as we edge toward it becoming a seller’s market, there are tips that sellers need to incorporate. These will help make your real estate transaction successful.One thing that has not changed is the need to stage your home. It is necessary to sell your home quickly and for top dollar. Condition will still influence price and time on the market. However, good condition and priced right should …

As we march into the spring market, the weather may be chilly but the real estate market is hot, hot, hot. Sales in February continued to be strong and I continue to be optimistic about the spring market for 2013. Inventory remains low. There are currently 83 homes on the market in Peachtree Corners. Compare this with this time last year when there were approximately 114 homes on the market. The exciting news is that 43 homes are under contract and are scheduled to close in the next few months.There is a 3.9  month supply of homes available for sale. That is up slightly from last month's 3.5 …

As the real estate market slowly changes from a buyer’s market to a balanced and in some cases seller’s market, buyers needs to be aware they may find they are competing with other offers on homes they wish to buy.A well priced home in good condition will attract offers. How do buyers structure or position themselves so that they are the offer chosen?  Here are a few tips to make sure you get the home you have fallen in love with.1. Make sure your offer is reasonable. If you know there are several offers on a home, yours must be full price or close to it. Make sure you provide pre-…

I received a call this week from a Peachtree Corners homeowner who purchased one of my listings three years ago. This homeowner stated that a couple of neighbors had called and asked if she was selling her home. They had recently seen it on the Internet listed for sale.I’ll try to explain here as I explained to her what is happening in the real estate industry today that caused her home to be shown as an active listing. Once a home is listed in the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), a chain of events occur that are out of the hands of the real estate agent who listed the home. Yes, I have …

When you are looking for a place to call home you will most likely start with the criteria that would make that home perfect for you. That is where most people start and it makes sense. However misery will be your friend if you have a home that you love in the middle of a neighborhood you hate. Where your home is located is just as important as how many bedrooms it has. If you do your homework, and hire an agent who knows the neighborhood or is willing to find out about the neighborhood, then you can prevent future heartache. Explore the neighborhood! Are you looking for a community with …

The housing market continues to improve. Buyer and seller optimism is paying off, and we are seeing a spring market with many opportunities for both buyers and sellers. Realtors are excited about all the changes we are seeing in the housing industry. It is time for buyers to react and they have not disappointed us. We are seeing multiple offers on many properties. It seems that buyers realize that these interest rates are as good as it gets. Buying power changes greatly with each small change in interest rates. If in the position to buy, you need to act on it before the interest rates go up. …

Buying a new home can be exciting, stressful, scary and wonderful. It can create a Super Bowl of emotions. Below are some guidelines for beginning your search and a few tips to help you begin the process.1. Know your areas. Explore neighborhoods. Make notes of what is most important to you. Schools should always play a role in your thinking. Children or no children, consider the school district. Good schools help protect home value. Location and lifestyle should also factor into your decision.  Once you narrow your search down to an area you like, ask your Realtor to put you on automated …

If you know you are going to be selling your home this spring then now is the time to plan that move. Here are 10 tips to help you organize your move and to help you sell faster and for more money.1. Call a Realtor and let him or her know that you plan to move this spring. Find out when he or she recommends you put the sign in your front yard. Make that your target date. The Realtor know the community history and knows when you will have the best chance for success. Ask your Realtor to tell you what to do to get your home ready for the market. If they cannot be specific, then call another …

An agent who is engaged by you to help you search for and purchase the perfect home is considered a buyer’s agent. You may at first wonder what this buyer’s agent is going to cost you? NOTHING! In most cases, the buyer’s agent is paid from the sellers proceeds at closing. Great news for you. All you owe is loyalty to the agent who is representing you. You will sign an agreement that states that you will work with that agent and that you will contact them to purchase any home for an agreed upon time. The agent in turn promises to work for your best interest.Did you know buyer’s agents can show…

Over the last five years Internet searches for homes have gone through the roof. I remember when we first created a website, we had a monopoly on local home searches. However, at that time there were very few home buyers who depended on the Internet to find a home. The favorite expression was, “What is a dot com?” Today over 90 percent of home searches begin online. Recently, Google and the National Association of Realtors joined forces to research how buyers are using the internet. I thought you might be interested in some of the results of this study. Real estate searches on Google have …

In Peachtree Corners the word to describe real estate 2012 is "optimistic." As mentioned in previous market updates the inventory is down and multiple offers are in many cases being presented. Prices are still low and buyers are still demanding the latest features but homes are selling and the market price will reflect the lower inventory in the future. In this report we will look at the City of Peachtree Corners market and see what we might expect in 2013.Using the city boundaries of the City of Peachtree Corners , there are 79 active listings. This represent a 25 percent drop in inventory …